Building construction and plastic block for making the same



March 5, 1929. A. F. LEWIS 1,704,255

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION AND PLASTIC BLOCK FOR MAKING THE SAME Filed Feb.2, 1926 2 Shets-Sheet 1 2! 10 INVENTOK A/V-SO/V FLEW/S, DECE'ASED.Z/ZABETH LEW/S, ADM/N/JTfiATR/X.

BYq l ATTORNEY.

4 m Y. w mm w & I HM 6 6 m a m o w 4, 1 a I w wfx m m m rdfiv$rwwww w m2 M h w m a M w m A M A. F. LEWIS BUILDING CONSTRUCTION AND PLASTICBLOCK FOR MAKING THE SAME Filed Feb. 2, 1926 Patented Mar. 5, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,704,255 PATENT OFFICE.

AN SON I. LEWIS, DECEASED, LATE OI SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA, BYELIZABETH LEWIS, OF SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA, ADIINISTRATBII, ABBIGNOBTO IOBTABLESS TILE MACHINE COKPANY, OI SANTA CALIIOBNIA, A 003- PORATION01' CALIFORNIA.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION AND ILABTIC BLOCK FOB IAKING THE SAME.

Application filed February 2,1920. Serial I0. .421.

This invention relates to a building construction and to plastic blocksfor making the same.

The general object of the invention is to provide an improved buildingwallwhich although strong and durable is nevertheless.

flexible.

Another object of the invention is to provide a building wall comprisina pluralitllyiv of unitary blocks so arranged t at the w may flexwherebyithe finish on the walls will not be cracked by jars to which thebuilding is subjected. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a wall comprising alurality of unitary blocks wherein the end blocks are connected togetherin ri id relation.

A furthero ject of the invention is to provide a wall comprisin amonolithic foundation having unitary b ocks laid substantially drythereon, and wherein novel meansis provided for holding certain of saidblocks in assembled relation.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved buildingblock.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawin s, wherein:

ig. 1 is a Perspective view of a portion of a bui ding embo ying thefeatures of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a wall embodyin the features of myinvention;

i g. 3 is a section on line 33 Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view through a corner of the building embodyingthe features of my invention;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view showing details of my invention;

Fi 6 is a horizontal sectional view showin t e outer walls of abuilding;

Figs. 7,8 and 9 are erspective views showing a single block, oubleblock, and half block respectively, embodying the features of myinvention, and

Fi 10 is a bottom plan view of a block embo ying the features of myinvention.

Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of my invention.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters I have indicated abuilding embodying the features of my invention generally at 10.

This buildin as shown includes end walls 11 and side wa Is 12 althoughit will be understood that other arrangement-ofthe"walls may be made ifdesirethwithout departing from the features of my invention.

.In practisingmy invention, I preferably first build a concretefoundation indicated generall at 14. This foundation may be provide withlongitudinally extending rcmforcing members 15 which may be arranged inany desired fashion.

In the preferred form the ends of certain of the foundation reinforcingmembers, as shown at 16 in Fi 2 and 4, are bent verticaltlyso that theyW11]. protrude above the founat1on for a urpose to be presentlydescribed. Other foun ation reinforcing members extend around thecorners of the foundation.

Upon this foundation I arrange a plurality of un1tary blocks which areillustrated in F 1 s. 7 to 10 inclusive. These blocks are prefera lymade of concrete and are provided with parallel planar front and backfaces 17 and 18.

One end of each block is preferably recessed as at 19 while the otherend is provided with a tongue 20 which corresponds with the shape of therecess 19 so that contiguous blocks maly be interlocked.

he blocks are shown as provided with a plurality of cavities 21. Thesecavities are defined by transversely extending partitions 22. In some ofthe blocks I may provide a central longitudinal partition 23 as shown inFig. 8. This I call the double block. I may also make half blocks asshown in Fig. 9 if desired.

Extending along the top of each block adjacent each edge thereof Iprovide a rib 24. These ribs are preferably rounded and are adapted tofit within recesses 25 in the bottom of the blocks to interlock theblocks firmly.

In laying the wall the blocks are preferably laid dry, that is, there isno mortar used for holding the blocks in assembled relation. On accountof the fact that in making, shi ping and storing the blocks the upperand ower faces become slightly scratched, I have found it very desirableto paint or coat the abutting top and bottom faces of the blocks with acoating of neat liquid cement to fill the pores. This coating may bedried before the blocks are laid as it does not have any a prec'iablebinding effect and it may be entire y omitted when desired. The wall, aslaid with or without the coating mentioned, is flexible and the blocksin the intermediate portions of the wall are sustained by their weightand the wei ht of the superimposed building.

he reinforcing members which have their ends bent to extend around thecorner of the building are shown at 21. These members serve to hold thefoundation together while the reinforcing members 15 which have theirends 16 bent upwardly to fit within the cavities 26 of the corner blocksserve to hold the foundation and wall together. In building the wall theblocks may be arranged in any desired fashion, but in the preferred formthe partitions will be staggered so that there will be no verticalalignment of such partitions since better air circulation is thusprovided. The end blocks, however, are arranged so that there .will be acontinuous space 23 where the two blocks overlap. This space serves toaccommodate the reinforcing portions 16. Other reinforcing members 24are also provided as shown in Fig. 4. These reinforcing members arearranged in the ver tical alignment cavities and are provided with upperextremities 25 which are threaded to receive nuts 26 for holding planks27 in place. Upon these planks the roof structure 28 may be supported.After the side wall has been partially completed or after it has beenentirely completed, I fill the cavities 23 with concrete 30 to thus forma continuous Vertically extending column of concrete in which thereinforcing members 16 and 24 are embedded.

In a similar manner I may provide vertically aligned cavities 31adjacent the sides of the window and door openings 32 as shown in Fig.2. In these cavities 31 I arrange reinforcing v rods 33 and the cavitiesare then filled with concrete 34. The cavities 23 and 31 may both befilled with concrete without inserting the reinforcing members, althoughI nrefer to provide the reinforcement.

Across the top of the window opening or other opening, I may arrange asolid concrete lintel 35 and also across the bottom of the window I mayarrange another solid concrete lintel, or I may fill the blocks at thebottom to form a lintel 36. In order to pro vide a solid top for thewall I may fill the cavities in the upper courses with concrete 37around the entire wall. This concrete is secured in place by means of alayer of paper or other material 38 which serves to prevent the concretefrom falling into the spaces between the lower blocks before it sets.

The individual blocks may be provided with grooves 40 in their lowerface for the purpose of receiving reinforcing rods 41 for holding thewall in proper relation.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have provideda wall wherein the supporting foundation is of a solid monolithic natureand wherein the corners and the portion directly adjacent to eachopening is provided with a solid column of concrete and wherein aboutthe entire perimeter about the top of the building a solid body ofconcrete is provided and wherein intermediate these portions the blocksare laid loose. 'As a result of this construction the building is heldfirmly together as a unit, but at the same time, great flexibility isgiven to the walls so that the severe shocks or jars will not cause thebuilding to collapse and will not affect the finish of the building inany manner.

If the wall is of any considerable length, I may provide reinforcingrods 42 in the cavities intermediate the ends of a wall. When using thisty 0 of wall the foundation may be provided with a reinforcing memberhaving a hook 43 and the rod 42 will have a hook 44 which will referablybe inserted through the block cavities after the wall has been completedand will be anchored in position with its hook in engagement with thehook 43. A washer 44 may be arranged upon the plank 27 and a nut 45 maybe fastened upon the rod 42 to hold the parts in assembled relation.

Buildings made with my blocks may be provided with partitions 50. Wherethese partitions oin the side wall, I prefer to place a reinforcedcolumn of concrete 51 (see Fig. 5) as previously described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a building construction, a foundation, a wall comprising alurality of hollow interlocking plastic bloc is arranged upon saidfoundation, the cavities in said blocks being in alignment, areinforcing member embedded in said foundation and having a hookedportion thereon projecting into said aligned cavities, a reinforcingmember extending through said cavities and having means thereon forengaging said hooked portion, and means to anchor the upper portion ofsaid second mentioned reinforcing member to the wall.

2. A Wall comprising a foundation having a plurality of unitary blockslaid thereon, said foundation having reinforcing members therein, saidblocks being hollow and said reinforcing means at certain portionsextending upward into the aligned cavities in the blocks, otherreinforcing means connected to said reinforcing members and arranged inaligned cavities within the blocks and extending vertically towards thetop of the wall and a filling of cement about said reinforcing means andin the cavities adjacent thereto.

3. A wall comprising a plurality of hollow plastic blocks each havingparallel end portions and parallel front and back faces, one

end portion of each block including a single tongue portion and theother end portion of each block including a recessed portion, said memestongue portion being of a, shape complementei to the shape of therecessed portion, said end portions being in direct engagement and saidtongues directly fitting the Walls of said recessed portion so that theentire ends of each block engage the entire ends of the adjacent blocks,said blocks having a plurality of cavities therein defined bytransversely extending partitions integral with the blocks, a projectingrib extending along the top of said blocks 1 adjacent each edge thereofand a groove extending along the bottom of said blocks adjacent eachedge thereof.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature.

ELIZABETH LEWIS, Admim'ezimtrim 0;" the Estate of 21918001 F.

Lewis.

